I dont think they do have the same "attrition rate" if i am comparing with other makes of bikes from the guys who i go green lanning with.

As for weak areas that need addressing that is part of the research when picking the right bike

I never changed a tire or did a oil change before i set off on my trip last year and yes " I did a few thousand miles on dirt roads "

Its no black art learning as you go, the main thing is to just GO!

I agree ... over some years and many bikes one may learn a few things about which bikes tend to be solid ... or not. At some point it's personal opinion ... but certain FACTS tend to prove which bikes are best and survive abuse over the long term.

If I were British I guess I'd wonder why the whole world isn't riding old CX500 Honda messenger bikes! :eek3:

But how does a total NOOB pick the right bike? If you read ADV Rider on the GS forums ... you'd swear the new BMW R1200GSadv is THE best bike in the world for overland travel. So depends who's advice the novice rider listens to. So many go with BIG, Expensive BMW's ... maybe that's why BMW sales are off the charts? But many sell those bikes off after a tour or two. :innocent:

I agree with the "Just Go" part ... but feel that it's ALWAYS better to have some knowledge in your pocket in case you need it. No, it's not a Black Art, but we DO SEE many novices screw up simple things, ruin their bike, end their trip. Also, some have a knack for mechanics, others are "slow learners". :( A bit of training never hurt anyone. Knowing a few simple things can ease a lot of needless suffering, expense and massive time wasting. (Been through all that as a kid ... would not want to repeat it.)

So get some training if you have time and motivation.
Would I postpone a departure date due to lack of training? NO WAY!
GO GO GO !!! bier

Simple really.

Buy a simple bike with low mileage and which has been well maintained. Then have it checked by a GOOD mechanic.

Learn how to do simple repairs and simple maintenance. Just the obvious ones. It's really not that hard at all to check your oil, chain etc and learn how fix a puncture. I am CERTAIN that 90% of all breakdowns are people letting their bikes run low on oil, really stretching maintenance out far too long or when it actually matters, really having no idea how to change a puncture.

I blame a lot of this on the whole "That bike's bulletproof" forum and media chatter. It makes many folk totally nonchalant..... Blasé. It's a machine with a million working parts. Things need maintaining. No matter how "Bullet Proof" it's claimed to be.

Check these boxes and then you'd have to be really unlucky to be stuck anywhere. And if you have a simple bike, A LOT more people can help you fix it if you can't do it yourself.

This is why the big, expensive exotic bikes loaded with gadgets and electronics are the WORST bikes to go long distance travelling on. Unless of course you can just throw ridiculous amounts of cash a problem that you can't solve yourself.

And that's why so many BMW's make it around the world. With enough money, you can be rescued from anywhere. Almost.

Thanks again for the advice:thumbup1:

I have decided to go with a Japanese 250cc enduro, a/c engine

simple enough :D

A TTR or XR?

Do I need to be a competent mechanic?
 

Kei,

I started my trip without the faintest idea of how to change a tire, why your bike won't start after you drop it, no spanish beyond una cerveza gracias and well, only the vaguest idea of how to put my tent up. Seven months, three countries and 12,000k later me and my Japanese 250 Enduro are going better than ever, I speak competent Spanish for my needs, and largely thanks to this website and YouTube, can have my wheels off in a few minutes, do basic maintenance myself and feel pretty confident riding finding my way around whatever the road conditions. Not saying I'm great or anything - still a n00b to all this but it can be done, even by me who is certainly not the sort of person that fancies himself as the practical, hands-on type at all - throw caution to the wind a bit but plan to the best of your ability nevertheless - but most of all just get out here and do it. I've learnt so many useful skills in the past several months and have had a great time too :)

Good post but again since when is Japanese 250 enduro a way to refer to what bike you have !

I was just making a reference the OP as he/she also referred that they wished to make the trip on a 'Japanese 250 Enduro' otherwise I would have just said XR250 or something like that :)

Oh ya I'm riding a Honda SL230 (2002) currently, but I'm also interested in XR250. Will have a try if possible. They differ in a little power and seat height.
And SL230 doesn't need an oil filter.

Hi,
We all started with no knowledge.
So .. what basics are good to start your trip with?

A first aid course - for yourself!

Fix a flat tyre .. probably more frequent than the oil change :( But it will also let you change tyres.
Oil change .. which you have
Air filter - clean and change
Valve setting
Change clutch cable (with this you'll also be able to change the accelerator cable/s)
Change battery
Change rear shock

Those would be a reasonable minimum .. you can learn on the road .. others have .. some have not and had to rely on locals... sometimes good .. sometimes bad. They all survived so it does not really truly matter. The first aid course is probably more important to your well being .. So the really important thing
Just GO! :) Even on the SL .. people ride bicycles around the world ..

or you can watch YouTube to learn how to do it

The more you have in your knowledge tool box the less the misery later,unless it is counted as adventure but there is plenty of that around ,so I just call some of it as foolishness- when the machine is left go until it breaks for whatever reason.Motorcycling is not plug n play.

Another thought
 

There is the other option. Buy a popular model running used bike to practice on.
Something that you can abuse and in the worst case scenario..... dump. Too many of us try to 'keep it new' as opposed to realizing that a bike is nothing more than a tool to get us on the road.

Try not to let a shiny new paint job interfere with the turning of a wrench. At least buy a used lawn mower engine from the junk yard and take it apart. What's there to lose? Best way to learn is by doing.

I might be stating the obvious here, but looking through this thread, one contact you need to make has not been suggested ( if it has, I've missed it somewhere and apologise).

Contaxct the manufacturer and tell them what you are going to do with your bike and ask them if they can either give you a half days maintenance course on the bike, or suggest a dealer who can help you. I have not come across a Manuf yet who won't help. it's their product and it's good publicity for them if they do it. Also you may end up with some free spare parts for your trip.

Really happy and grateful for all of your help & ideas

I'm currently re-thinking about the bike choice as my 12-year-old SL230 suffered a little bit of oil leak. Though it has been fixed easily by smearing gasket maker (not done by me of course), this makes me think about switching to a brand new bike. Maybe Yamaha XT250, fuel injected.